Golf on the Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is always a great idea for a golf trip as there are so many terrific courses to choose from.

Port Ludlow Golf Course

Golf Magazine named Port Ludlow as one of the top five public courses in Washington.  The two 9-hole courses are named Tide and Timber. Both nines have elevation changes with tall trees on the fairway edges. The course is well bunkered especially around the greens.    A tree trimming project on the back nine has opened up some shots as overhanging trees were trimmed, especially the tee shot on the par-4 13th hole.

A short ferry ride from Edmonds and a 16-mile drive from the Kingston ferry dock, Port Ludlow offers the perfect get-away for anyone looking to take a break from the city.  With a quaint inn, restaurant, spa and full service marina, the resort offers something for everyone.

The Cedars at Dungeness

The Olympic Mountains deflect the rain clouds around the city of Sequim, making the Cedars at Dungeness one of the driest courses in Western Washington – an average of 16-17 inches of rain per year.  With an 18-hole layout measuring over 6,400 yards, Dungeness is protected by sprawling bunkers and narrow approaches to elevated greens. 

The signature hole is the par-5 3rd with a series of bunkers in the shape of a Dungeness crab. Even the sand in this hazard is red. 

The Jamestown S’Klallam tribe bought the course in 2007 and has invested heavily in the clubhouse and landscaping. It is a great escape for Seattle/Tacoma area golfers who want some quality dry golf.

Discovery Bay Golf Course

Discovery Bay Golf Club sits above Discovery Bay, just outside the historic Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend, Washington.

The front nine opened in 1925 and the second nine was added in 1997. The two nines are vastly different; the original nine is located in the lowlands while the back nine is built on the top and along the side of a hillside that provides some challenging holes.  The course purchased a greens roller a few years back, which has vastly improved the greens, making them fast and rolling true.

The old-style clubhouse has a large deck that overlooks the front nine and is a great place to relax with food and drink after a round. There is also a practice driving range at the course.

Salish Cliffs

When Salish Cliffs opened for public play in 2011, it was obvious that this amenity of the Little Creek Casino and Squaxin Island tribe was something special, The Gene Bates-designed course won several awards in its first year, including being named one of the top new courses for 2011.

At 7,269 yards the course offers everything – from ponds to sand traps to wetlands to the elevation changes, Salish Cliffs is a place that is a golfing treat with some stunning Pacific NW views and some challenging holes along the way.

And don’t forget about the casino, hotel and convention center, which sit right next door to the golf course.

Port Townsend Golf Course (Now called Port Townsend Golf Park)

The 9-hole course is located in the historical seaport city of Port Townsend and has been under the microscope by the city council – none of which play golf. Various options were discussed for using the land, from turning it into a park, to making it a housing development, to name just a few ideas. Fortunately, the public made it clear that they wanted to keep the course as it provides a valuable source of charity income for many institutions including the schools.

The council, however, came up with a hybrid plan to chop up some of the holes, making room for a couple of businesses and moving one fairway over adding a string of houses.

For now, though, a non profit group called Friends of Port Townsend Golf Park, is running the course and has made improvements that have increased play at the course.

Today, visitors will find the course is still intact, though much improved, and worth playing.

Future plans are to have Disc Golf and Ft Golf and plans are already underway for events and concerts on the driving range amphitheater. Non-golf times are being scheduled where people and families can use the open space for picnics or simply wander the grounds without golf getting in the way.

Lake Cushman Golf Course

Lake Cushman Golf Course sits on the edge of the Olympic National Park, high above the Hood Canal community of Hoodsport. 

The course and surroundings are truly a walk in the park – or a ride if you choose – where wildlife sighting is common.       This well-maintained nine-hole course has separate tees to make a par 72. It is popular among locals as well as with campers and vacationers. The natural forested setting produces a calming atmosphere for relaxing rounds of golf. The course is challenging yet playable for all levels of golfers. There is also a driving range and practice putting green at the course. Hot dogs and snacks are available at the pro shop.

Sunland Golf Club

Sunland is a members-owned club located in a mostly retirement community in Sequim, Wash. It winds through huge fir, cedar and spruce trees and is well protected with bunkers and ponds. The course, which was formerly for members only, is now open to public play, with some restrictions. 

Because the course sits in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains it receives about 17 inches of rain a year (half that of Seattle), making it one of the driest courses in western Washington. There are a couple of elevation changes that add a good mixture to the round, but most of the course is level and easily walkable. Sunland plays to just over 6,000 yards with a par of 72. The course is always in great condition. While not long, it plays tight, especially demanding accuracy from the tees.

LakeLand Village

 LakeLand Village, located between Hood Canal and Puget Sound’s Case Inlet, in the town of Allyn, Washington, is the only residential community that offers 27 holes of golf – three distinctly different nines – Generation I, Generation II and Generation III. With numerous ponds, gaping bunkers and majestic views of the Olympics and Mount Rainier, golfers will appreciate the scenic and challenging courses and the well-groomed putting greens.

There is a spring-fed lake, stocked annually with rainbow trout, where residents can enjoy fishing year round.  In addition to a restaurant and sports bar, the clubhouse also provides banquet facilities. The most recent addition to the community are 25 lots along the Generation III course.

SkyRidge Golf Course

SkyRidge Golf Course is a family owned and operated golf course off the Old Olympic Highway in Sequim, WA. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete, you are able to enjoy all the amenities this public course has to offers, every day of the year. SkyRidge Golf Course has a driving range, putting & chipping greens, pro shop, power or push carts to rent, access to a PGA-certified pro for lessons, and a restaurant and bar called Soren’s Café.

This link-style course has walkable, wide open fairways where you can walk or drive to your ball year-round. There’s a total of ten greens here, with the 18th hole that has a separate green. The front nine totals a yardage maximum of 3,296, but if you want to play all eighteen, you’ll play from a separate set of tee boxes on the back nine totaling 6,529 yards. Their namesake comes from having a stunning view of the Olympic Mountain Range from every hole. Like the city, the course enjoys the protection from the Olympic Mountains and has half the rain as Seattle.

Oaksridge Golf Course

Oaksridge Golf Course sits just off Highway 12 in Elma and is visible from the freeway.  The 18-hole track measures 5,643 yards and is a local favorite after opening in 1926.

The course is relatively level so it makes a perfect walking course. Just be advised, the prevailing winds can lengthen it considerably. The Chehalis Tribe purchased the course and continues to make upgrades.

Grays Harbor Country Club

Located in Aberdeen is a nine-hole layout and is one of the oldest clubs in the Northwest having opened for play in 1912. With tall trees and other challenges, this is as a solid test of golf that you will find in Aberdeen. With only nine holes, some holes have two different tee boxes to give the holes a different look the second time around.

Highland Golf Course

Highland Golf Course is located in Cosmopolis and originally opened as a nine-hole venue in 1930. It became an 18-hole course in 1990 and plays to 6,112 yards with a par of 70. The course has a lot of character and is a joy to play. There are not many flat lies, which makes it even more challenging and the greens are small adding to the difficulty.

Alderbrook Golf Club

Alderbrook Golf Club is a member-owned course in a golf centric community and is open to public play. It is a classic Northwest forested setting high above Hood Canal in Union, Washington. The most talked about hole is the 8th (Often called the ‘S’ hole), a double dog leg par 5 that stretches to 536 yards and was once picked by Golf Digest as one of the Northwest’s toughest holes.

A new modern clubhouse with a restaurant, banquet room and pro shop opened in 2009.

Ocean Shores Golf Course

Ocean Shores Golf Course got a national exposure in the 1960s with the Pat Boon Celebrity Classic and later, in the ‘70s when the LPGA Tour made an annual stop for four years. It was also the first win for JoAnne Carner (the Hall-of-Famer  eventually won 43 events). It  is a challenging, yet fun-to-play course. Par for the course is 71. Don’t be fooled by the modest 6,252 yardage of Ocean Shores Golf Course since the heavy ocean air, and moderate trade winds make it play much longer. The course is a links-style course with the shot-making challenges of a narrow, wooded course.

Lake Limerick Golf Club

Lake Limerick Golf Course was selected as the People’s Choice Best Golf Course in Mason County. It was recently picked as the 19^th best short course in the country by Golf Pass.

The nine-hole course is open to the public and meanders through tree lined setback homes. Limerick is a beautiful, challenging course with two legitimate par 5’s, with one of those being the lake view #8 signature hole, two tough par 3’s and challenging par 4’s. The golf course offers multiple tee boxes providing different perspectives on the front and back nine. Their award-winning cafe is open Wednesdays through Sundays for breakfast and lunch. For more visit www.lakelimerickgolf.com. Lake Limerick offers a Great Hall to rent for private events. Contact 360-426-3581 to reserve your next event. 

Peninsula Golf Club

Located in Port Angeles, Peninsula Golf Club opened up for public play in 2022. The 18-hole course is not long by today’s standard, playing to 6,332 yards with a par of 72, but don’t be fooled by the short yardage. Golfers have to be able to navigate some tall trees, some that encroach on fairways, be able to play on sloping fairways that sometimes leaning toward OB, and hit precise approach shots to smallish greens.

The first nine opened in 1926 and there is a scorecard on the wall in the clubhouse where the legendary Byron Nelson shot a 66 in 1945.